Spring 2014 in Review: CCARNYC

As the days get longer and the New York City weather creeps slowly toward summer, the Spring 2014 semester is quickly coming to an end! Congratulations to those who are graduating, who made it through their very first year, and everyone who is rocking these last two weeks of classes and finals.

In 2013-2014, thousands of students participated in service and civic engagement throughout the City through Civic Engagement courses, volunteering with us on an event, signing one of our Take Action petitions, participating in discussions on key issues, and working on their own to help shape a better city for all. Thank you to everyone who helped Pace make a difference this year!

Check out photos from some of this semester’s events below, and click any of them to see more pictures from these and other projects. To join us in the Fall and stay updated throughout the summer, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up for our bi-weekly eDigest. We hope to see you again in the future, whether you’re a freshman, an alum, or somewhere in between!

Take Action! to End Human TraffickingFebruary 19th, 2014

Students learned about human trafficking and were given the opportunity participate in the International Justice Mission’s postcard challenge to urge Congress to pass H.R. 2730, The Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Human Trafficking Act, to help give children the hope and help they deserve to find better and safer futures. Spearheaded by the CCAR and sophomore Nelli Agbulos, CCAR staff and a dedicated group of students from the Pforzheimer Honors College worked to collect 150 signatures in just three hours. Check out these recaps on the Anti-Trafficking Independence Project blog and in the Honors College Newsletter.

Shop & Stock in West HarlemFebruary 28th, 2014

13 Pace volunteers spent a Friday working with the Food Bank of New York City and Community Kitchen of West Harlem to assist shoppers, check out and bag groceries, and restock shelves at a choice-style food pantry that provides over 40,000 meals a month to New Yorkers in need.

Alternative Spring BreakMarch 17th-20th, 2014

Students from both the NYC and Pleasantville campuses spent a week serving those hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy. The group traveled to Queens to work with Friends of Rockaway to help restore and rebuild communities affected by the storm. The 15 students who participated volunteered over 20 hours with FoR, participated in a discussion with Pace’s Dr. Matthew Bolton, met with the Director of Friends of Rockaway and Editor of local newspaper The Wave, and had the opportunity to visit Councilman Eric Ulrich of District 32. Check out the students’ blog posts here, social media updates here, and our photos here!

Over 70 students heard from an interdisciplinary panel of speakers and engaged in a question and answer session on the topic of white privilege. Panelists included Ida Dupont, PhD; Lisa Miles, JD; Andrea Voyer, PhD; and Darrin Porcher, EdD. Co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the CCAR. Find more photos here!

Hands on New York DayApril 12th, 2014

For the third year in a row, Pace volunteers traveled to the Hattie Carthan Community Garden in Brooklyn to prepare the garden for the spring as part of NY Cares’ city-wide day of service. Volunteers spread mulch, scraped and painted a gazebo, cleaned chicken coops, weeded and raked leaves, painted new signs for the garden, and more! Check out all the photos here.

Volunteering with Friends of RockawayApril 25th, 2014

Co-led by ASB14 participant Brittany-Ann Polini and the CCAR, a group of 8 Pace volunteers from both campuses returned for a day trip to Queens to help continue the rebuilding effort with Friends of Rockaway. Volunteers sanded, mudded, and painted the walls in the first floor of a home along Cross Bay Boulevard. More photos here!

Celebrate Hunts Point! Earth DayApril 26th, 2014

As part of the Celebrate Hunts Point! Earth Day event with Sustainable South Bronx, 10 Pace University students painted 10 tree guards and helped to beautify and promote environmental stewardship on a block in Hunts Point. Student volunteers also helped with a children’s banner with an earth and weather theme. Check out all the photos here, SSBx’s photos here, and an article from The Hunts Point Express with a video featuring Pace volunteers and an interview with Pace senior Thatiana Diaz here!

Welcome

Welcome to the Center for Community Action and Research blog! This will be a place where you can find information on not only CCAR events at Pace University, but also on ways you can get involved from wherever you are. We will post tips and resources on service and civic engagement and introduce you to the non-profits, faculty, staff, and students that inspire us.